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Review: BUTTERFLY Viscaria Super ALC

Author: Karel Malík

Review of Butterfly Viscaria Super ALC – The Evolution of a Legend

Butterfly Viscaria Super ALC 02           Butterfly Viscaria Super ALC 05   

On March 1, 2022, the table tennis giant Butterfly launched a new blade named Viscaria Super ALC. Today, I will try to give you a closer look at this newcomer from a gameplay perspective and compare it to the original Viscaria, as well as other ALC blades from Butterfly.

However, I must first take a look back—29 years, to be exact. In 1993, Butterfly released its first ALC blade, the Viscaria. It is still in production today and has been used by all-time greats like Timo Boll and Zhang Jike. To this day, it remains one of Butterfly's bestsellers, widely used by players of all levels.

Although Butterfly never officially discloses the exact composition of its blades, the original Viscaria—a truly groundbreaking piece of equipment—is widely believed to be: Koto - ALC - Limba - Kiri - Limba - ALC - Koto. This combination essentially set the trend for blade manufacturing for the last 30 years. Countless ALC and ZLC models (not just from Butterfly) have since successfully utilized this blend of veneers and synthetics, often with only minor variations.

In my opinion, Butterfly hit a marketing "bullseye" by developing Super ALC (SALC) and choosing the iconic Viscaria as the first model to feature it. For a detailed introduction to the new material and its development, you can visit: https://www.butterfly-global.com/en/product/superalc/

VISCARIA Super ALC

The blade is categorized as OFF. It features a standard head size of 157 x 150 mm and a blade thickness of 5.7 mm. While the manufacturer doesn’t state a specific weight, the e-shop vsenastolnitenis.cz (where new units are weighed) reports an average of 90 grams (+/- 5g). It is available in FL (Flared) and ST (Straight) handles. Typically, FL units are about 5 grams heavier than ST (FL: 88–95g, ST: 85–89g).

Manufacturer Specs:

For comparison, Butterfly rates the original Viscaria at Speed 11.8 and Vibration 10.3 (the same values assigned to Boll ALC, Lin Gaoyuan ALC, and Zhang Jike ALC). According to these specs, the Viscaria SALC—using the same wood plies but a different carbon—is slightly faster and slightly more flexible than the classic ALC version.

Testing Conditions

Butterfly recommends pairing the Viscaria SALC with the Tenergy or Dignics series. I followed this advice and tested the blade with new sheets of Tenergy 05 and Dignics 09C (both 2.1 mm). Everything was assembled using Free Chack PRO glue without any boosting. For a direct comparison, I also cross-tested with other ALC blades: Viscaria, Lin Gaoyuan, Kong Linghui Special, and Zhang Jike ALC, all with identical rubbers.

The test lasted 14 days (approx. 15 playing hours) against both attackers and "material" defenders (long pips), with opponents ranging from regional levels to the 3rd League. Note: The following observations refer to a SALC unit weighing 95g.

Subjective Gameplay Observations

Speed A slight increase in speed is noticeable, but in my opinion, a player will mostly feel it during sharp, high-power shots. On passive or controlled strokes, the speed feels essentially the same as the ALC version; I might even say the SALC feels marginally slower during low-impact play.

Accuracy An extremely precise blade. No scattering, no sudden "kick," and no "dying" on impact. The blade reacts very predictably to any change in power or swing speed. Personally, I find the SALC even more precise than the classic Viscaria.

Stiffness Definitely a stiff blade. Although the manufacturer claims slightly lower stiffness for the SALC, I can confidently say my test unit felt significantly stiffer than the classic Viscaria ALC tested alongside it. This is likely related to weight; the SALC was 95g, while the classic ALC was only 81g.

Dwell Time In my experience, the dwell time is slightly longer than the classic Viscaria ALC. This was a very pleasant surprise and helps immensely with service returns and topspins played under time pressure or from poor positioning.

Feel Subjectively, this SALC unit felt softer than the classic version.

Trajectory (Arc) Definitely longer than the classic Viscaria. On passive shots, the arc is slightly higher, whereas on power shots, it becomes slightly lower and more direct.

Balance Slightly head-heavy.

Summary and Recommendations

There is no need to break down every single stroke, as the SALC handles any offensive strategy with ease and, most importantly, extreme precision. However, I believe its greatest strength lies in topspin play. Because the SALC has a "longer range," it feels better suited for play away from the table compared to the classic version, as it doesn't lose its dynamics or impact.

The pairing with Tenergy 05 is perfect—power, spin, and precision are all there. The experience with Dignics 09C was also fantastic, bordering on pure euphoria during practice. It offered an even higher arc than T05, devastating spin, and was brilliant for counter-looping and service returns. However, I am aware that D09C exceeds my technical proficiency; I can't fully exploit its potential in a match, so a more detailed D09C analysis should come from a higher-level player.

Who should consider the Viscaria SALC? Players currently using a Boll ALC or classic Viscaria who are looking for:

Final Thoughts While I don't think SALC is a "miracle" material and I view its release primarily as a brilliant marketing move by Butterfly, I must admit the Viscaria SALC is a truly excellent, compact, and precise blade. Despite the higher price, it will surely find its way to players—the "Viscaria" name carries immense weight, and the "Super ALC" tag is a powerful draw.

Furthermore, its characteristics and weight are reminiscent of the very first Viscaria batches from 1993–1994, which often weighed up to 100g and offered a softer feel with phenomenal precision for their speed.

Thanks for reading this far, and a big thanks to vsenastolnitenis.cz for providing the blade for this review.

Until next time,

Karel Malík